SWING DANCE SHOES, LINDY HOP SHOES, Reviews

SWING DANCE SHOES
Swing Dance shoes, Lindy Hop Shoes, Shag, West Coast Swing, Jumpswing Reviews

	Kurt Lichtmann Cornell University, Ithaca NY
	1. Shoe Reviews 2. Where to get 'em 3. Shoe Dangers

SHOE REVIEWS
You want your dance shoe to be LIGHTWEIGHT, fitting close to the foot, not adding much length & width outside the foot, able to slide, & spin with ease, good cushioning & arch support (insole can be added later).
Aris Allen Wingtip for men		There are so many variations on this shoe, but Aris Allen at www.dancestore.com has definitely gotten it right - lightweight, fits as close to the foot as they can get, great internal padding - needs no inserts, gorgeous, top quality, and slick for sliding. This is the one for the full battle dress swing night or performance.
MaryJane spectators for ladies		"I love them!" quote from my advanced level class Teaching Assistant says it all. Great fit, good cushioning built in, plenty of slide, lightweight, easy to stay balanced for hoppin' and jumpin' all over the room, and stable landing for those that love aerial moves. Aris Allen at www.dancestore.com (410) 849-3700 The red shoe top left of this page is an Aris Allen "Ruggcutter," modern re-design of a '40s shoe.
Dance Sneakers: Salsette III uni-sex		"I love them!" quote from me. This is my current all-purpose favorite - for both teaching and dancing. Lindy, Jumpswing, WCS, Salsa, Ballroom. *Suede sole* is standard. Great internal memory foam cushioning - no extra cushioning needed. Mesh uppers breath, and help make the shoe very lightweight. Insane low price: $25. www.nydancestore.com. Of course, I have a second pair with hard leather soles, treated with floor wax. Sizing: a men's street 10 to a Sansa size 15, considerably more than their suggested equivalent.
CUSTOM		That's right. Custom dance shoes made for you in the USA. OK, you like the spectator look, but you are tired of the norm. Maybe you want ivory and navy, or faux snakeskin, or like my pair shown here, chocolate and tan. Many styles for guys and gals. Suede or hard leather soles. Very lightweight. 6-8 weeks wait. It's worth the wait. Under $150. Ask for Ginni at www.stepnout.com
Dance Sneakers: CAPEZIO, BLOCH, DANSKIN uni-sex		Not super spinny, but you can get a leather sole put on at a good shoe repair place (Ithaca - Cobbler's Cottage in small mall opposite side of Rt 13 from K Mart). The Bloch DRT has plenty of cushioning & support, maybe too much? Some of these dance sneakers put you so far off the floor, you don't even know there is a floor. All types of swing dance. People like them for Salsa too. If you are short, you will be taller. Slight disadvantage: if you are tall, it will make you lots taller.
LEO Spectator Jazz		Low priced (under $25 discounted), add an athletic cushion-arch support (Spenco) that costs as much as the shoe (!), and they're lots nicer on the metatarsal, ankles, knees. Great for fancy footwork. Look good for hot Salsa, too. Lightweight, flexible, *suede soles*. A downside: the black plastic heel is a bit loud on the floor, and kind of tends to mark the floor a bit...
BLEYER uni-sex		Favorite of many Lindy Hoppers, yet others prefer to wear something else, since they are SO mainstream, and pricy. Several sytles. I have two pairs - very nice shoes. Lightweight, fit perfectly. The $20 Bleyer memory foam inserts are quite good. All the gals in the CU Jump Swing Club Performance Team wear Bleyer's. Bleyer makes custom colors! Want purple and red? Custom takes about 10 weeks. Made in Germany. Savoy Style (888) 507-2869
Jazz shoes: focus on the SANSHA JS3 uni-sex		If your feet are super healthy, maybe you can get away with these. Lycra & Spandex, split sole, Sansha JS3, a cheap jazz shoe wth a suede sole! A mere $13.00 !?!?! Super low to the floor, ultra lightweight. Super fast footwork shoe. The Lycra and Spandex form closely to the foot, and once your foot is in there, has a great look. Protect your feet! Add a top quality memory foam or Spenco rubber insert. More? Wear Thorlo walking socks WX13 - great padding, moisture wicking (yes, you CAN get black Thorlos). Are you a TALL guy or gal? Why wear shoes that are going to make you tower over your partners even more? Sizing is a pain: I tried 3 sizes before I nailed it. I wear a solid men's 10 - the SJ3 size 14 finally fit great.
Bowling shoes		Some swing dancers love 'em (cushioning, plus slippery sole.) They tend to be a bit clunky, not so good for fancy footwork. Good for dancers with three feet (shown).
Chinese slippers for ladies		Some women love these. They are cheap (under $10), but no support, and little cushioning. Put in a Spenco athletic or thick memory foam cushion, and you'll like them better.
Oxfords		Some have a swing look, but tend to be heavy and clunky. It may be possible for your shoe repair expert to replace the rubber sole with leather or suede. Yes, I've done that on a pair of beloved shoes. It worked out great.
Saddle shoes uni-sex		The classic uni-sex saddle for debuted in the swing era, and also became the defining look of the 1950s rock & roll generation. The penny loafer is another favorite, but a bit harder to dance in. BASS (much better than Dexter) makes several great quality saddle shoes / penny loafers. More coslty, but great and comfy shoes are COLE HAAN, or the BLEYER saddle with optional suede sole. Rubber shoes / heels can be replaced with hard thin leather or chrome suede by your shoe repair person. For a super fast shoe, the hard leather sole / heel waxed & buffed with a paste floor wax will let you s-l-i-d-e.
BASS Weejuns uni-sex		BASS Weejuns are the classic Carolina Shag shoe. But if you want to spend lots more for a more comfy shoe, try the COLE HAAN: several upscale versions of the classic penny loafer. Any loafer will do, however. Some do prefer lace-ups. (Leather soles for sliding and spinning, of course.)
Tango shoes		In the world of West Coast Swing, tango shoes (black) seem to be the ultimate weapon of choice. Some women like laced tango shoes, others prefer the hot look of black high heels (with fish-net stockings, tight short dress, etc.). Lycra material looks way cool for men or ladies. And you don't need to polish it!. WORLD TONE MUSIC (above) has them. Also SHOWTIME DANCE SHOES, Georgia (800) 433-5541.
Basketball shoes		Not so good for swing dance: they grip the floor, they are big, they don't flex well. If the treads are worn down, maybe ok. otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Running shoes		Not so good for swing dance: they grip the floor, If the treads are worn down, maybe ok. otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Tennies		Not so good for swing dance: they grip the floor, If the treads are worn down, maybe ok. otherwise, they are floor-grippers.
Bare feet		Not so good for swing dance: they grip the floor, you cannot spin. it hurts more when you get stepped on, or stub your toe. It is pretty hard on the balls of your feet. In spite of all this, some people like to dance barefoot or sock footed.

WHERE TO GET 'EM
Dance LIGHTLY on a clean rug to try out new shoes. Returning scuffed shoes is an impossibility! Find out return-exchange policy BEFORE you order. Minimize grief!
BODY GEAR center of Ithaca Commons. 273-4327	Local to Ithaca NY. In Ithaca, try here first. Leo Spectator Jazz, Danskin and Bloch Dance Sneakers. Exchanges only, no refunds. Nice folks.
www.dancestore.com 410-849-3700 Crownsville, MD	Great clothes, too. Great source for wide-leg swishy dance pants, various colors, materials!
DANCE FASHIONS Colorado (800) 624-6480 catalog	Lowest prices and fast delivery: $19.95+ship for Jazz Oxfords #117. $34.95+ship for Jazz Sneaker #214
SAVOY STYLE swing@savoystyle.com Toll Free:1-888-507-2869 Outside USA: 707-995-8604	Great swing videos and shoes, too! Bleyers, Swing Sneakers http://www.swingdanceshop.com/swindanshoes.html
NEW YORK DANCE STORE customerservice@nydancestore.com South Carolina 1-800-398-9562	Lots of Sanshas you didn't know existed. Ballroom, Salsa, Swing shoes. Minimum order $40.
WORLD TONE MUSIC New York City (212) 691-1934 catalog	Options galore and fast delivery: Jazz oxfords $26-$60. In stock, fast delivery.

SHOE DANGERS

Can you mess up your feet, ankles and knees with your favorite shoes? YES.

1. If you don't have enough cushioning on the bottom, you won't notice the pain too much during the excitement of dancing, but over a period of weeks and months, you can cause long term injury to the muscle tissue, or to the nerves between the metatarsal bones, in the area around the ball of the foot. You will definitely notice it when you sit down, and the next day and the next when you are not even dancing.

2. Arch support - ever hear of fallen arches? You need decent arch support.

3. Trying to spin in shoes that grip the floor? (rubber soles) really hard on your knees and ankles. Better to walk through those turns heel-toe style if you are wearing floor-gripprers on difficult floors.

4. You love the look of those too-tight shoes? Watch your toes go numb over time. Leave some room for you toes, please.

5. You will find out soon enough if your shoe/sock combo is giving you blisters. The wounds will heal eventually.You don't need me to tell you to find other shoes, or use some preventative pads, or whatever. I suggest some slippery socks, like Thorlos, Adidas and Nike make some socks for runners that are great for dancing - padding, ventilation, moisture control, and they don't cause blisters. No more cotton socks for me.

6. Do your heels wear down at an angle toward the outside? As the heels wear more and more, it is pretty rough on your KNEES JOINTS! Fix the heels or get new shoes.

CORNELL SWING ITHACA DANCE balboa music lindy music JUMPSWING salsa shoes SWING RADIO Ithaca DJ

Frankie Manning Radio Interview 10/07
hear it - download free mp3 files! Hellzapoppin
movie clip - download free
After Seben
movie clip - download free
Killer Diller
movie clip - download free

my dance pants shrank!